Steppe Volga region. Guided tour

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Ethnocultural tour of the southern cities of the Volga region. We will start our journey from the hero city of Volgograd, visit Mamayev Kurgan, and continue our vacation in the Astrakhan region from Lake Baskunchak and north to the present Saratov region.

From the Astrakhan Kremlin we will go to the Volga Delta, where in July and August you will see an incredible lotus blossom!

In Kalmykia, we will introduce you to the Oirats and the country of “Bumba”, where you will learn what real Kalmyk hospitality is. In the capital of the steppe republic, you will see the largest Buddhist temple in Europe, learn about the traditions of the Kalmyk people and taste authentic national cuisine.

The tour program includes visits to the following cities: Volgograd, Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan, Elista.

Location

Volgograd

Sightseeing tours

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

Khuruli of Kalmykia

We will visit the famous Golden Monastery of Shakyamuni Buddha, the old hurul of Shakyusn-Xume and the Seven Days Pagoda.

Mamaev Kurgan

Let's climb to the main height of Russia and see how the memory of the war was embodied in the architecture of the complex.

The capital of the Golden Horde

Let's take a walk through the ancient city of Sarai Batu, reconstructed specifically for the filming of the film "The Horde"

Bogdo Peak

We will climb one of the most ancient mountains of the Astrakhan Khanate, which offers a magnificent view of the unique salt lake.

Buddhist Shrine

We will be told the legend of the Lonely Poplar Tree and we will find out why this place has become a Buddhist shrine.

Lotus fields

From mid-July to the end of August, enjoy the fresh river air and the delights of the vast Astrakhan nature.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Volgograd. Nizhny Baskunchak settlement
From 07:45 to 10:00 Arrival in Volgograd.
Meeting with an accompanying guide.
10:00 Group transfer from Gumrak airport to Volgograd city center.
10:30 Breakfast at the Elite cafe in Volgograd (included in the price).
11:30 Meeting with a guide at the Volgograd 5* hotel.
11:40 Sightseeing tour of Volgograd (3 hours) with a visit to Mamayev Kurgan, Alley of Heroes, Central Embankment.
15:00 Lunch time (self-pay).
16:00 Departure to Nizhny Baskunchak, 160 km, 2 hours.
18:00 Check-in at the hotel.
Rest.
Free time.
Dinner is paid for independently.

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Day 2 - Akhtubinsk, Mount Bogdo and Lake Baskunchak, Sarai Batu, Astrakhan
08:00 Breakfast at the hotel (included in the price).
Eviction.
08:30 Drive to Bolshoe Bogdo mountain (60 km, 1 hour).
09:30 Guided tour of the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Nature Reserve, 2 hours.
12:00 Lunch in Nizhny Baskunchak (included in the price).
13:00 Baskunchak Lake.
14:30 Departure to Seletrenoe village, 125 km, 2 hours.
16:00 Guided tour of the Sarai–Batu cultural and historical complex, the God-Forsaken Palace, 1.5 hours.
18:00 Dinner at the complex's cafe (included in the price).
19:00 Departure to Astrakhan, 142 km, 2 hours.
21:00 Late check-in at the 3* Astrakhan hotel.

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Day 3 - Astrakhan. Sightseeing tour of the city and museums
09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Sightseeing tour of Astrakhan, 2 hours.
12:00 Lunch (self-paid).
13:00 "Gold of the Sarmatians" exposition, 1 hour (regional Museum of Local Lore).
14:30 Guided tour to the Velimir Khlebnikov Museum, 1 hour.
16:00 Tea party in the old merchant's house of G. V. Tetyushinov, 1 hour.
Dinner (self-paid).
Rest, free time.

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Day 4 - Astrakhan. Lotus fields
08:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
09:00 Gathering of the group and departure from the city.
The group travels by minibus to the village of Karalat, Kamyzyak district (1 hour), transfer to boats and drive to the base (40 minutes).
11:00 Arrival at the Olga base.
Meeting, soft drinks.
Changing into bathing suits.
11:30 Departure by boat to the lotus fields.
Delta tour.
13:00 Arrival at the base, where a delicious lunch consisting of fish soup and other fish dishes awaits the campers.
Rest.
Swimming in the pool and salt lake.
17:00 Boarding the boats and departure to the village of Karalat.
18:00 Delivery from the pier in the village of Karalat to the city by minibus.
19:00 Arrival at the Astrakhan hotel, rest.
Dinner is paid for independently.
Day 5 - Oirats from Mongolia and the "Bumba Country"
08:30 Breakfast at the hotel.
Eviction.
09:30 Departure to Kalmykia.
11:30 On the way, we stop at the Oirats from Mongolia, at the hostess of Togtoh, 200 km.
Tourists will be able to explore the life of shepherds, see a huge herd of Kalmyk Bakrian camels, taste traditional Kalmyk cuisine (camel milk, Kalmyk milk vodka, Kalmyk tea, bortsoki), and those who wish can ride camels.
13:00 Lunch in Yashkul village, included in the price.
14:00 We leave for the village of Adyk, 50 km.
2:40 p.m. Eco-Route "Bumba Country", 2.5 hours.
Pink Lake tour.
The route passes along the shores of the salty Mekletinsky lakes, in the water of which the microscopic crustacean Artemia Salina lives, which turns the water pink and participates in the formation of therapeutic mud, which is used in the treatment of skin diseases and the production of cosmetics.
Excursion to the “Singing Dunes".
In ancient times, there were camps of various nomadic peoples on the sands.
Even now, fragments of clay vessels and arrowheads of the Yamskaya, Catacomb, Sarmatian and Scythian cultures can be found on the blown-out hillsides.
16:40 Reception at the caravan camp, solving the Kalmyk puzzle “Nyarn Shinj".
Camel riding, archery.
Lasso throwing (enabled).
18:00 Departure to Elista.
20:00 We check into the 3* hotel in Elista.
Dinner is paid for independently.

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Day 6 - Elista City Tour
09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Guided tour of Elista and an external tour of the Seven Days Pagoda and the Golden Gate "Altn Bosch".
11:30 a.m. Visit to the central hurul “The Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha" – an external and internal tour of the temple with a guide.
13:00 Lunch at the Kalmyk Cuisine No. 1 cafe (included in the price).
14:30 Exodus and Return – memorial dedicated to the deportation of the Kalmyk people.
15:20 Stupa of Enlightenment, the Wish-fulfilling Stupa, is the only Stupa in Kalmykia that can be entered.
16:00 Excursion to the chess town “City Chess".
The unique chess city was built in 1998 to host the World Chess Olympiad and the FIDE Congress.
The central object is the Chess Palace, resembling a Kalmyk caravan, which hosted the Chess Olympiad and the 69th FIDE Congress.
16:30 We leave for the Buddhist temple "Shakyusn-Xume".
Khurul is located 6 kilometers from the capital of Kalmykia, near the village of Arshan.
17:00 Departure to Lone Poplar – a place of power, 20 km.
This natural monument is considered by the Buddhist Kalmyks to be a sacred tree (a Place of Power).
It is surrounded by 8 Buddhist stupas.
Monks from Central Khurul hold a large prayer service here every year.
19:30 Welcome dinner at the ethno cafe “Nomad”, folklore from the soloists of the folk ensemble “Zulturgan" (included in the price).
The ethno-cafe offers to plunge into the atmosphere of the Kalmyk hoton and feel the spirit of the Great nomadic people, the descendants of Genghis Khan.
In the caravans you can taste dishes of Kalmyk national cuisine, try the famous Kalmyk tea – jomba.
Guests can ride horses, camels, and take pictures in national costumes (extra charge).

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Day 7 - Lake Manych, Priyutnoye, Yashaltinskoye lake
07:30 Breakfast at the hotel.
08:00 Departure to the Chernye Zemly Nature Reserve, Lake Manych-Gudilo.
Eco-tour of the territory of the state Natural Biosphere Reserve.
09:00-12:00 Eco-route of the Manych Bird.
12:30 Lunch in Priyutnoye village (included in the price).
13:00 We leave for the village of Yashalta on Bolshoe Yashalta lake (130 km, 2 hours on the way).
We will visit the Bolshoe Yashaltinskoye salt lake.
Bolshoe Yashaltinskoye Lake (colloquially called “Saline") is located between the villages of Berezovka and Saline in the Yashaltinsky district of the Republic of Kalmykia.
The healing properties of the water and sediments of this lake have been known for a long time.
In 1879, the Stavropol Provincial Gazette published an article “The healing mud of the Dzhalginsky Salt Lake”, about the lake, the healing properties of which were known throughout the district.
16:30 Dinner at a cafe in the village of Yashalta (included in the price).
17:00 Departure to Elista, 213 km, 3 hours.
Free evening.

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Day 8 - Elista
Breakfast at the hotel.
Buying souvenirs.
Eviction.
For those wishing to travel to Volgograd (transfer from a transport company for departure / departure).
13:30 Group transfer to Elista airport.

Difficulty

Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Hotel

3 nights

Comfort

Midscale
Upscale

The tour provides double accommodation in hotels along the way.

The cost of the tour for 1 person, depending on the size of the group and the format of the tour, RUB.:

Group size	Cost
2 people (private tour)	153 500
4 people (private tour)	113 300
6 people (group tour)	93 800
8 people (group tour)	84 500
10 people (group tour)	78 700

If there are no places per group in the specified hotels, the tour operator reserves the right to stay in hotels of the same category based on availability.

Elista 3* Hotel in Elista

The Elista Hotel is located in Elista, 600 m from the center of Elista. It offers a bar, private parking and a terrace. The hotel has a restaurant and a 24-hour front desk. Free Wi-Fi is available.

All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a desk, a refrigerator, a kettle, a shower and free toiletries. Some rooms have a safety deposit box. Each room has a private bathroom and a wardrobe. All rooms at the Elista Hotel are equipped with towels and bed linen. There is no hairdryer in the rooms, but it can be requested at the reception.

A continental breakfast is served daily.

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Another option

Azimut 3* hotel in Astrakhan or similar

Azimut Astrakhan Hotel is located on the banks of the Volga River. It offers comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi and satellite TV. The historical center of Astrakhan is just a 5-minute walk away.

All rooms at the Hotel Astrakhan Azimut have a refrigerator and a private bathroom. Some rooms offer views of the Volga River and the Astrakhan Kremlin.

A buffet breakfast with local and international dishes is served every morning at the Azimut Hotel's restaurant. There is a summer terrace with an outdoor cinema, where snacks and dinner are served.

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Another option

Julia Motel in Akhtubinsk or similar

The Julia Hotel is located in the Astrakhan region in the city of Akhtubinsk.

There are 17 comfortable rooms with all the conditions for a comfortable stay or overnight stay, including a private bathroom in each room.

The hotel has a restaurant where delicious Russian dishes are prepared.

The city is famous for aviation enterprises, airshows and demonstrations of new equipment are held here. Nearby is the city Park of culture and recreation, the Chapel of the Cathedral of Archangel Michael. The distance to the railway station is 1.2 km, to the airport — 145.5 km.

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Tour conditions

Group

From 2 to 14 tourists

Minimum age

7 years old

Duration

8 days 7 nights

Group meets at

Volgograd

Included in price

accommodation in hotels in the cities of Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan, Elista;
sightseeing tour of the cities of the Lower Volga region;
departure to the lotus fields;
presentation of the Old Kalmyk letter “Todo Bichg”;
meals according to the program;
transfer according to the program;
guide services;
water 1.5 liters of water per day for 1 person.;
accident insurance.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Volgograd and back from Elista;
meals not specified in the program or specified for an additional fee;
personal expenses.

It's important to know

The requirements for the mode of stay on the route correspond to the general safety requirements in natural areas and protected areas.:

Strictly follow the specified route;
Do not litter the route, take all the garbage off the trail.;
Don't pick flowers;
Do not damage the full houses;
Do not make bonfires or stay overnight in places that are not intended for this purpose.

Dates and Prices

from
$1,003

30 Jun – 7 Jul 8 days 7 nights

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from
$1,003

14 – 21 Aug 8 days 7 nights

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No need to pay now